Hammer handle anchoring means



April 7, 1954 I A. F. BlANCHlNl 3,128,131

HAMMER HANDLE ANCHORING MEANS Filed Nov. 2, 1961 F l 4 INVENTO ANDREW F BIANC TORNEY United States Patent Ofltice 3,128,131 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 3,123,131 HAMMER HANDLE ANCHORING MEANS Andrew F. Bianchini, Providence, RI. (Higgins Lane, Georgiaville, RJ.) Filed Nov. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 149,581 3 Claims. (Cl. 306-33) My present invention relates to a hammer construction and more particularly to a novel anchoring means for a hammer handle.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a construction for permanently anchoring the handle within a hammer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hammer and handle anchorage which tightly bonds the handle to the hammer and prevents loosening of the hammer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hammer and handle construction which is simple and easy to assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hammer embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the handle anchorage.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 on FIG. 3.

The method of anchoring a wooden handle in a metal hammer has always presented a problem. This is especally true of industrial hammers in constant use where the handle has a tendency to loosen. The most common form of anchorage is to form the hammer with an opening into which the hammer handle fits very tightly. A wedge is then driven into the top of the hammer handle to spread the wood tightly against the walls of the opening. However, the impact and vibration of daily use eventually loosens the wedge or splits the handle at the wedge. The present invention is designed to provide a handle construction in which a strong bonding resin glue is used to supplement the wedge construction.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the invention applied to one type of industrial hammer. However, the invention can be applied to any type of hammer. The hammer comprises a head and handle 11. The handle 11 is usually made of wood but any other material can be used. Extending vertically through the hammer head 10 is an oval opening 12. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the opening 12 is provided with a radius or curve 13 at the bottom entrance to prevent the handle from chipping or cutting when it is forced into the hole 12. The portion 13 also forms a restricted entrance to the opening 12 which forms a seal between the handle 10 and the opening at this point. The length of this area is of course determined by the size of the hammer head. The opening 12 is provided with arcuate wall portions 14 which curve in an are from a point immediately beyond the portion 13 upwardly and reaching its widest point at approximately the midway point, or half the distance of the vertical length of the opening 12. This point at the middle is the largest area in the diameter of the opening. From this point the walls 14 are inwardly to the top edge 15. The opening 15 at the top edge is larger than the bottom entrance 13 but smaller than the maximum diameter at the midway point.

A conventional handle 10 is provided with a reduced end 16 which is inserted into the hammer head 10. The handle portion 16 is usually provided with a slot for receiving the wedge. The Wedge may be of a lipped, stepped or other anchoring design. In the illustrated form the portion 16 is provided with a slot 17 extending downwardly from the top edge in the longer axis of the oval handle. The slot 17 is provided with a short central cross slot 18. The wedge 19 is preferably of metal and its greatest width at the top is less than the length of the slot 17. At the center the wedge is provided at right angle 25th a downwardly tapering stepped anchoring portion In assembly the handle portion 16 is forced into the opening 12 by pressure until it becomes tightly wedged at the entrance 13. At this point the top of the portion 16 should be below the upper entrance 15 of the opening as shown in FIG. 3. The wedge 19 is now driven into the slot 17 and spreads the top edge of the handle so that it touches the Walls of the opening 12 at the sides as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. I now prefer to use a chemical anchoring glue and more particularly an epoxy resin glue 21 which is poured into the opening from the top. The epoxy resin flows to the point of seal 13 at the bottom, the seal preventing its downward flow on the handle. The resin spreads through the outer edges of the slot 17 and completely fills the slot around the Wedge 19 as shown in FIG. 2. It flows completely around the handle and fills the space between the handle and walls of the hole as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The area remaining between the top of the handle portion 16 and the top of the wedge 19 and the upper end 15 of the hole 12 is now filled with the resin 21 to form a cap over the top which not only serves to lock the handle but also serves to lock the wedge 19 against displacement. The epoxy resin glue hardens to a solid mass which can only be removed by drilling.

The resultant construction provides a permanent anchor for the handle within the hammer head. The curved surfaces permit the flow of the glue around the handle. The restricted entrance 13 forms a seal for holding the glue while it is being inserted. The cap of glue is connected to the glue below to form a single unitary body of glue as shown in FIG. 2. There can be no loosening of the handle or of the wedge.

In the so-called dead blow hammer the hammer handle opening does not go through the hammer head but opens into the chamber into which the shot is poured. This type of hammer is shown in my copending application Serial No. 48,533, filed August 9, 1960, and now Patent No. 3,088,506. The present invention can also be applied to such hammers by omitting the metal wedge. The handle opening with the restricted entrance and curved sides is formed in the same manner as the form shown herein. However, when the handle is forced into the opening it will be found that it has a tendency to spread at the slot. This spreading action is enchanced by deepening the slot to a point just short of the restricted entrance. The epoxy resin is now poured through the opening normally used for the shot and before the shot is put into the hammer head. The resin not only fills the space around the handle as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but also enters the slot to form a wedge made of solidified epoxy resin glue. While the end of the handle will not spread completely to the sides of the opening, it will spread sufiiciently to have a larger diameter than the restricted portion of the opening and will thus prevent withdrawal of the handle. In this manner the wedge is a solid epoxy resin glue joined continuously with the resin surrounding the hammer head. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A hammer comprising a head having a vertical opening therethrough, the walls of said opening being concave, being narrow at the bottom and top and widest intermediate the ends, a hammer handle having a narrow upper end with straight parallel sides extending into said opening, the upper end of said handle being below the upper end of said opening, said handle having a slot extending downwardly from its upper end, a wedge in said slot spreading said handle in said opening whereby the top of said handle extends outwardly to the walls of said opening, and epoxy resin glue surrounding said handle in the wider part of said opening and filling said opening around said handle and filling the space from the upper end of said handle to the upper end of said opening.

2. A hammer comprising a head having a vertical opening therethrough, the walls of said opening being concave, being narrow at the bottom and top and widest intermediate the ends, the upper end of said opening being of larger diameter than the lower end of said opening, a hammer handle having a narrow upper end with straight parallel sides extending into said opening, the upper end of said handle being below the upper end of said opening, said handle having a slot extending downwardly from its upper end, a Wedge in said slot spreading said handle in said opening whereby the top of said handle extends outwardly to the walls of said opening, and epoxy resin glue surrounding said handle in the wider part of said opening and filling said opening around said handle and filling the space from the upper end of said handle to the upper end of said opening.

3. A hammer comprising a head having a vertical opening therethrough, the walls of said opening being concave, being narrow at the bottom and top and widest intermediate the ends, the upper end of said opening being of larger diameter than the lower end of said opening, a hammer handle having a narrow upper end with straight parallel sides extending into said opening, the upper end of said handle being below the upper end of said opening, said handle having a slot extending downwardly from its upper end, a wedge in said slot spreading said handle in said opening whereby the top of said handle extends outwardly to the walls of said opening, and epoxy resin glue surrounding said handle in the wider part of said opening and filling said opening around said handle and filling the space from the upper end of said handle to the upper end of said opening, said hammer opening having a restricted entrance at the bottom end forming a seal with the handle whereby said glue is confined in said opening surround said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,213,818 Krause Mar. 23, 1938 2,467,284 Williams June 25, 1946 2,656,225 Saylor Oct. 20, 1953 2,850,331 Curry Sept. 2, 1958 2,917,349 Sayor et a1. Dec. 15, 1959 2,967,738 Moore Jan. 10, 1961 

1. A HAMMER COMPRISING A HEAD HAVING A VERTICAL OPENING THERETHROUGH, THE WALLS OF SAID OPENING BEING CONCAVE, BEING NARROW AT THE BOTTOM AND TOP AND WIDEST INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS, A HAMMER HANDLE HAVING A NARROW UPPER END WITH STRAIGHT PARALLEL SIDES EXTENDING INTO SAID OPENING, THE UPPER END OF SAID HANDLE BEING BELOW THE UPPER END OF SAID OPENING, SAID HANDLE HAVING A SLOT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM ITS UPPER END, A WEDGE IN SAID SLOT SPREADING SAID HANDLE IN SAID OPENING WHEREBY THE TOP OF SAID HANDLE EXTENDS OUTWARDLY TO THE WALLS OF SAID OPENING, AND EPOXY RESIN GLUE SURROUNDING SAID HANDLE IN THE WIDER PART OF SAID OPENING AND FILLING SAID OPENING AROUND SAID HANDLE AND FILLING THE SPACE FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID HANDLE TO THE UPPER END OF SAID OPENING. 